Core B - Program Development Under this Core we propose to expand research on demography of aging at Michigan through: 1. Recruitment and retention of tenure-track faculty who specialize in demography of agin 2. Pilot project grants to explore new research topics, methodologies, and data resources in aging. The top priority of the Michigan P30 center is to expand the breadth and quality of research on demography of aging. MiCDA will actively pursue faculty recruitment at the junior and senior levels. During the current award period MiCDA has operated a highly successful pilot grant program leading to outside funded research and other significant benefits to the research community. Awards have gone to investigators at all stages of their careers and to individuals in the Schools of Medicine and Public Health, as well as sociologists and economists in the College of Literature, Science and the Arts. We propose to continue the program, following established procedures for review of proposals and managing awards. Four pilots are presented in this proposal to be funded in Years 1 and 2; additional pilots will be selected in all years. Year 1: "Mechanisms for Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Diabetes Self-Management and Outcomes," Michele Heisler, UM Medical School and David Weir, Survey Research Center. "Utilizing Aggregate Mortality, Morbidity, and Health Infrastructural Data as an Adjunct to Survey Analyses of Disability," Albert Hermalin, Population Studies Center. Year 2: "Using Physical Performance Measures and Vignettes to Validate HRS Survey Measures of Health," John Bound, Department of Economics. "Health and Mortality Among the Elderly in China Before the Twentieth Century," James Lee, Department of History.